FORMER Liverpool striker and football pundit Stan Collymore has escaped a driving ban despite clocking up 12 points for speeding – after successfully pleading a case of exceptional hardship.

At Warrington Magistrates Court today, Thursday, Collymore pleaded guilty to speeding on the M6 at Thelwall Viaduct, driving his Porsche Cayenne at 48mph in the temporary 40mph limit.

The offence happened on April 19, this year.   

Despite having already admitted three other speeding offences in the last six months, the Talksport radio pundit escaped a ban after arguing it would stop him from looking after his mum, impact his work as a radio pundit, and stop him from raising money for charity.

Under the ‘totting up’ rule points from each offence would usually be added up to result in a ban, unless exceptional hardship was proven.

Magistrates accepted that a ban would prevent Collymore from caring for his 84-year-old mum, who the court heard has mental health problems, and make her 'day to day life extremely difficult'.  

Giving evidence Collymore, aged 43, of Shirewood, Cannock, Staffordshire, said: “Up until her mid-seventies, she was very active.

“Unfortunately, there has been an alarming weight loss of several stone, and mental health issues on top of that.

“She gets very anxious and frightened.

“I do the heavy lifting around the house, take her to the shops, in inclement weather make sure her driveway is clear.

“The worry is she tries to do things for herself, and has had falls.”

The former England international, who was capped three times for his country, also argued a driving ban would affect his job as football pundit for Talksport, meaning he could get to fewer games.

Talksport, although aware of the charges, would not provide a car for him, said Collymore, as that was the ‘difference between radio and TV’.   

Collymore, who also played for Nottingham Forrest, said a ban would make it ‘impossible’ for him to attend events and raise money, for Friends In Need, a support network he helped found for mental health charity, the Depression Alliance.

“It’s on the record over a number of years I have struggled myself (with depression) and I decided to start up a charity as part of the Depression Alliance,” he said.

“I get shirts from players that play, on the day.

“We have raised a significant amount of money.

“The website is up and running to get young people to communicate which each other who are struggling.

“70-80 shirts are collected from football grounds, and people within the game.

“Without (a car) there would be no driver, essentially, to raise funds that we have.”

Collymore was sentenced for four offences of speeding, after already pleading guilty at an earlier hearing to three other incidents.

On April 19, 2014, he was recorded driving a Porsche Cayenne on the M1, driving at 59mph in a temporary 50mph zone.

On March 13, 2014, Collymore was caught driving a Porsche Cayenne on the M5, doing 60mph in a 50mph zone.

On September 10, 2013, he was recorded driving a Porsche Cayenne on the A38, doing 71mph in a 60mph zone.

He was given 12 points, and told to pay costs and fines totalling £740

Anthony Caldwell, chairman of the bench, said: “Today you have laid yourself bare to the court, and been open and honest about professional and personal matters.

“We have accepted the seriousness of your position.

“You are now on thin ice, which I’m sure you understand.”

Speaking after the hearing, Collymore said he was ‘relieved’ by the sentence, and that he had 'taken on board' the magistrate's comments.